To clarify when it is appropriate for staff to attend a celebratory event. Such events include, but are not limited to receptions due to retirement or resignation, holiday celebrations, birthdays, baby showers, etc.

Policy

Attending a celebratory event for a NVR or NDE staff member during the workday.

Attending a celebratory event for a NVR or NDE staff member from your current team/office/local community during regular work hours is allowable without the need to take vacation leave. The reception should not exceed what would be considered a reasonably appropriate period of time for a reception. If attending involves significant travel, every effort should be made to schedule other appropriate agency business in conjunction with the reception.

Attending a celebratory event for a NVR or NDE staff member that is not from your team/office/local community during regular work hours would require taking vacation unless you have arranged an appropriate work related reason to be at the event location. Such an arrangement shall require supervisory approval. Otherwise, vacation leave must be used to attend.

Attending a celebratory event for a non-NVR or non-NDE staff member during the workday.

Attending a celebratory event for a non-NVR or non-NDE staff member during regular work hours is allowable without taking vacation leave if the event location is within your local community and the relationship with that individual is a result of your team/agency partnership and collaboration roles and responsibilities. Supervisory approval is required. Otherwise, vacation leave must be used to attend.

Attending a celebratory event for a non-NVR or non-NDE staff member located outside your workplace community during regular work hours is allowable without taking vacation leave if your relationship with that individual is a result of your team/agency partnership and collaboration roles and responsibilities and you have arranged a work related reason to be in the community where the reception is occurring. Supervisory approval is required. Otherwise, vacation leave must be used to attend.

Attending a celebratory event for a former NVR or NDE staff member during the workday.

Unless the former NVR or NDE staff member meets the criteria above for a non-NVR or non-NDE staff member as a result of a current partnership or collaboration, attendance at a celebratory event would require the use of vacation leave.

Policy Exceptions

Some classifications come with roles and responsibilities that would exclude them from the above policy. Examples.

• The Agency Director has agency wide role and responsibilities and would not be required to use vacation leave to attend an agency or department employee’s reception anywhere in the state.
• In all cases staff including the Agency Director should try to schedule other appropriate agency business in conjunction with any travel to a celebratory event allowed on work time to maximize the use of their time and travel.